Transfer mechanism for can parts



Aug. 28, 1945. p w s 2,383,528

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CAN PARTS I Filed March 5, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

ThPA/FYS Aug. 28, 1945. w. P. WINTERS TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CAN PARTS Filed March 5, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M 4? m da A TTO Eva/5Y5 Aug. 28, 1945. R mTERs 2,383,528

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CAN PARTS Filed March 5, 1943 x 5 shets sheet 3 I INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 28, 1945 UNITED TRANSFERJMECHANISM FOR PARTS William.P/Winters Cincinnati, onto, assignor to e American Can fCompany,j'New York, N. Y., .a

corporation of "New Jersey Application-March 5, wig-scheme. 418,149 f5 Claims. (01. 198-33) invention relates generally t conveyor mechanism :for can parts and the like and. has particular reference to a transfer and turnover (conveyor adapted or receiving continuously moving can in one position and for delivering in an inverted position and in synchronism with an auxiliary conveyor.

An object of the invention is the provision of a transfer con or which is interposed between can makmg machines "for the transfer of can received -in one position from one machine for delivery rinca mlifierent position to an auxiliary conveyor. 1

Mother dbje'cttisthe provision lsu'cha'trans- .ter cconveyor zof devices which "operate to'trestrain lanyumcontrolled movement of the (can parts to insure delivery onto auxiliary conveyor in relation "therewith.

. Numerousother objects and advantages of the invention be apparent z'aslit fis 'bet'ter under- StDUdlfl'Om the following description-which, takon in connection with the accompanying [drawings; discloses a preferred embodimentthereof.

albeferfing its the drawings: i 1 Figure i1 is :a'rfront elevation :ofra transiter conveyor embodying the present invention, the view also showing a. portion of a machine with which the iconveyor .is normected, with parts broken away; 1 i

Fig. .2 :is :an enlarged top plan View of parts shown Fig. :1, the vzrewwbeing taken substantiallyialong a horizontal plane indicated by the slime il -4.1m Fig. 21., parts brokenaway;

Fig. 3 isanenlarged fragmentarysectional view taken substantially along "the broken lines 3-3 in Fig. 311; and w q Fig. 4 :is an enlarged detail :of the conveyor guides showing the same supporting a can part. As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawings -illustraits fa trans'fer'eonveyor mechan'ism attached to a drying l'm'achine of the character disclosed in United States Patent .1E5'h5j-3 0T6, issuedNovember 1 1, 1924; to Gustav -W. 'Hedstrom, although the invention is equally well adapted :for use with (ether-kinds of machines. The conveyor .meohanismincludes 'a transfer and tum-over conveyor 0 and an auxiliary "conveyor it). The "turnover coirveyor "C receives "cone top can c in an inverted position from the machine B :and delivers them :in an upright position "tothe auxiliary conveyorD .in tim'ed relation with :the ioperation of the latter conveyor. The auxiliary conveyor carries the can ends to a subsequent operation machine or to any other suitable place or deposit as desired. g

In the drying machine above mentioned, the inverted cone top can ends a are propelled along an ascending helical path of travel on cooperatins pairs of lifting threads H, 12 (Fig. 2) which are formed on adjacent inner and outer cylindrical walls of concentric shells I4, 15 which constitute portions of the main frame of the machine. These shells setmoff between them an annular drying chamber 45. .Movementof the can ends through the drying chamber is effected by .a continuously rotating member or rotor ll .having depending spaced and ,parallel propelling rods 18 which travel through the drying chamber and which engage behind and sweep along the can ends.

Adjacentthe upper end of the machine, the

dried can ends a are discharged from the drying chamber It by a. curved shoe [9 which is fixed in the path of travel of the can ends. This shoe is secured to the inner shell l4. The curved shoe deflects the can ends into a short horizon- ;tal runway 2| which includes a pair of spaced and parallel guide rails 22 24 secured to the outer shell l5 of the machine. These rails support the can ends and lead them to the turnover conveyor'C.

The can ends a received in the runway are propelled therealong .in timed order toward the turnover conveyor Cby a horizontal star wheel 26 which is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 34 (Figs. 1 and .2) journaled in a bearing bracket '35 bolted to the outer shell l5 of the machine. This shaft is driven by a .bevel gear 36 mounted on the lower end of the shaft. The gear 36 mesheswith' a bevel gear 3''! which is carried on .a short horizontal shaft '38 'journaled in a bearing 39 formed on the bracket 35.

The outer end of the shaft 38 carries a. sprocket 40 which is rotated "by an endless driving chain '4"! which operates over this sprocket. The chain also "takes over a driving sprocket 42 mounted on the outer end of a main driving shaft '43 journaled in'bearingblocks 44 of the machine B. The driving :s'haft may be the main power shaft of the machine and may be driven in any suitza'bile'manner. p r

.The 'rotating'star wheel 26 has four horizonltallv-eictenided-arrns, each of which carries a destu'd' l 'l at its-outer end, These studs sweep through the runway and engage behind a can end traveling at the top of its helical path iand'propel the roan lend ro-rward tangentially emd'iinto position *over' the turnover conveyor 0'. iRa-ssageways 48, 49 are provided in the outer shell l5 and in the guide rail 22 for clearance of the moving studs 41.

The transfer or turnover conveyor C is located directly under the can end runway and is disposed in a vertical position. It includes an endless chain 5| (Figs. 1 and 2) having a plurality of forked or bifurcated feed fingers 52 spaced at intervals along its length. The chain operates in a clockwise direction (as viewedin Fig. 1) over a pair of spaced upper and lower sprockets 53, 54 which are mounted on respective shafts 55, 56. These shafts are journaled in bearings 51, 58 formed in a bracket 59 which is bolted to the outer shell I 5 of the machine B.

The chain 5| is driven by a spur gear 6| which is mounted on the outer end of the lower sprocket shaft 56. This gear meshes with and is driven by a spur gear 62 which is mounted on' and which rotates with the star wheel drive shaft 38. Thus the turnover conveyor C is actuated in time with the star wheel 26. l r 1 The chain 5| is guided along its vertical path of travel between the sprockets 53, 54 by vertical track rails 63, 64 (Figs. 1 and 2) which are secured to support [bars 65 fastened to the bracket 59. There are four of these rails and they are disposed on opposite sides of each of the two vertical runs of the chain. Guide rollers 66, secured to the chain at places adjacent the feed fingers 52, operate along the track rails and thus retain th e chain and its feed fingers in proper position as they travel between the sprockets. v

A pair of spaced and parallel can end transfer and turnover guides 61 are disposed adjacent the down travel run of the conveyor C in spaced relationthereto, as best shown in Fig. 1. The upper and lower ends of these guides curve around the adjacent sprockets 53, 54. The upper curved ends of the guides are bolted to the runway guide rails 22, 24 and constitute a continuation of these rails. The inner surfaces of the guides are formed with longitudinal grooves 68 for the reception of the can ends a.

Hence as a feed finger 52 of the turnover conveyor C travels upwardly over the top of the upper sprocket 53 of the conveyor, the finger engages behind a can end a positioned by the star wheel 26, and pushes it out of the end of the runway 2| and into the upper curved ends of the transfer guides 61. The finger continues to push the can end and thus propels it downwardly along the vertical straight portion of the guides and into and along the lower curved ends of the guides. It is the travel along these transfer guides that turns the can end right side up, as viewed in Fig. 1.

Speed of the conveyor C usually is'sufficient to keep the feed finger 52 in engagement with the can end during this down travel. However, to prevent the can end falling by gravity away from the finger and getting out of time, provision is made to avoid uncontrolled movement of the can end through the transfer guides 61.

This control is brought about by a shouldered stop pin or element 1| (Figs. 1 and 4) which is disposed in a horizontal bore 12 formed in one of 1 vthe upper run of the auxiliary conveyor.

spring 14 which engages against this end of the pin. The spring is secured to the guide.

Thus should a can end run ahead of its propelling finger 52, it is stopped by the pin 1| as it reaches the lower curved end of the guides 61. The held can end remains at the pin until the propelling finger overtakes the can end and pushes it past the pin and along the remaining curved portion of the guide. The spring 14 yields momentarily as the pin is moved outwardly by the passing can end. In this manner the can end is delivered, in an upright position from the lower curved ends of the guides 61 in proper timed relation and under full control of the tumover conveyor C.

Discharge of a can end from the tum-over conveyor C delivers it in timed relation to the auxiliary conveyor D. The auxiliary conveyor D includes an endless chain having feed fingers 86 secured thereto at spaced intervals along the chain. This chain leads to a subsequent operation machine or to any other suitable place of deposit for the can 'ends. The machine end of the conveyor operates over a sprocket 81 which is mounted on a short shaft 88 journaled in a bearing bracket 89 bolted to the side of the drying machine B.

The sprocket 81 is'rotated by a driven sprocket 92 which is mounted on the short shaft 88 adjacent the sprocket 81. The driven sprocket 92'is actuated by an endless chain 93 which operates over a driving sprocket 94 mounted on the main shaft 43. Through this connection with the main shaft the auxiliary conveyor D is actuated in timed relation with the turnover conveyor C.

The feed fingers 86 of the auxiliary conveyor D engage behind the can ends a. as they. are delivered from the turnover conveyor C and propel them along a pair of spaced and parallel horizontal delivery guides 96 which form a continuation of the lower curved ends of the vertical transfer guides 61. The horizontal delivery guides are bolted to brackets 98 which are secured to a side of the drying machine B. 1 These guides direct the can ends in-an upright position to any suitable place of deposit as above mentioned.

In order to facilitate continuous and smooth transfer of a can end from the turnover conveyor C to the auxiliary conveyor D,the feed fingers 96 of the auxiliary conveyor are formed as single prongs which readily pass between the double prongs of the forked fingers 52 (Fig. 3) of the turnover conveyor C when the two sets of fingers come adjacent each other at the pointof transfer of the can end. With such a construction of feed fingers the can end is always engaged by one or the other of the conveyor fingers and is therefore always under control.

The feed fingers 86 of the auxiliary conveyor D are maintained in proper feeding position by rollers 99 which are carried on the conveyor chain 85. These rollers operate in horizontal tracks |0l| which are disposed adjacent opposite sides of These tracks are secured to the guide brackets 98.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departin from the spirit and scope ofth invention or sacrificing all of its material advan tag'es, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred'embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a conveyor mechanism for can parts, the combination of stationary guides for directing the parts along a predetermined path of travel, a conveyor operable adjacent said guides and having fingers for receiving and for advancing the can parts by pushing them along said guides in predetermined timed and spaced relation, and a stop element located in the path of travel of said advancing can parts for temporarily stopping a can part which has advanced beyond its propelling finger until its engagement by said finger.

2. In a transfer mechanism for can parts, the combination of stationary transfer guides for directing the can parts along a-predetermined path of travel, a transfer conveyor operable adjacent said guides and having spaced forked fingers for receiving the arts in one position and for advancing the parts along said guides to invert them into a different position, a yieldable stop pin element located in one of said guides and projecting into the path of travel of the can parts along the guides for temporarily holding a can part until a said forked finger engages and moves it in timed relation with said conveyor, stationary delivery guides forming a continuation of said transfer guides,,and an auxiliary conveyor disposed adjacent said delivery guides and adjacent said transfer conveyor and having auxiliary feed fingers for passing into and through the said forked fingers to engage the inverted can parts, remove them from said forked fingers, and

advance them along the path of travel defined by said delivery uides.

3. In a transfer mechanism for conveying, inverting and transferring can parts from one machine to another, the combination of stationary inverting guides for directing the can parts along a predetermined path of travel in which said parts are inverted, means'for ejecting the can parts from one of said machines into a position adjacent said guides, a transfer conveyor operable adjacent said guides, an auxiliary conveyor lead- ,ing to said other machine and having can part propelling fingers thereon, bifurcated fingers on said transfer conveyor for propelling the can parts along said guides into a position for delivery to said auxiliary conveyor, the fingers on said auxiliary conveyor passing between the bifur cated fingers on said transfer conveyor to engage and remove the can parts therefrom, and means for actuating said can part ejecting means, said transfer and said auxiliary conveyors in timed relation to effect a continuous smooth advancement of said can parts.

4. In an article transfer mechanism, the combination of stationary guides adapted to engage lateral portions of articles during passage through the mechanism and to direct the movement of said articles in a predetermined path, transfer means for engaging and pushing each of said articles through said guides and along said path, and resilient means in a said guide adapted to engage a said lateral portion of each article whereby the article is restrained from excessive movement in advance of its said transfer means.

5. In an article transfermechanism, the combination of a transfer conveyor having forked fingers for receiving the articles while the latter are in one position and for propelling said articles along a predetermined path of travel into an inverted position, and an auxiliary conveyor disposed adjacent said transfer conveyor and having feed fingers operable in synchronism with the said forked fingers of the transfer conveyor, said- 1 feed fingers passing between the forks of said 

